Backyard rooster

[leighks]

Ps- like you I didn't set out to get a rooster, I was told he was a black sex link female, so that should have been a sure thing! But nope, he's all boy. My chickens are my pets and I will keep them as long as they live, regardless of production, age, etc. Like you, I'm just looking for ways to manage my flock the best I can. I'm committed to their health and wellbeing just as much as my indoor domestic pets.

 

[K. Kolberg]

Ps- like you I didn't set out to get a rooster, I was told he was a black sex link female, so that should have been a sure thing! But nope, he's all boy. My chickens are my pets and I will keep them as long as they live, regardless of production, age, etc. Like you, I'm just looking for ways to manage my flock the best I can. I'm committed to their health and wellbeing just as much as my indoor domestic pets.

Do you have a good avian vet near you? You may want to consider a hormone implant used in birds called Deslorelin. It's used in various bird species for various behavior and medical problems. There's not a ton of info on it being used in roosters (many people don't bother doing it on roosters cuz many people don't keep them simply as pets) but there is some info on the internet about it. If the implant is put in roosters before they start to crow, most likely they won't crow. The potential drawbacks are it can be costly- around $175 per implant- and new implants have to be inserted every 6-12 months most likely. And you can not eat the meat if they have the implant.
I have spoken to my bird vet about this but haven't gone through with it yet. The reason I'm considering it is because my 1 cockerel and 5 pullets are 17 weeks old, and he is getting out of hand with his catching and mounting the females- none of them are ready to breed yet so they just scream and run away, with a few feathers missing from their necks and backs. I don't have anywhere to separate him from the girls and was considering using the implant to help him settle down and leave the girls alone, at least until they are laying and receptive to his advances. Right now they are becoming scared of him and since he jumps them without warning multiple times a day. I am allowed to keep roosters where I live, and I don't want to get rid of him- just slow his maturity a bit so the girls can catch up. Good luck!

Nahhhhhh.... we are in the city so we don't (not that i've heard of) have an avian vet near us, and second, I don't think we would want to spend $150 on a rooster. also, I think that this type of rooster tends to be nicer, so I'm not worried about it being mean. I just want it to stay quiet!!

 

[Abriana]

Even though I have never used or seen a crow collar, anything that restricts an animal from doing what it naturally does, such as a rooster crowing, or a cat meowing, seems cruel to me. I would re-home him so he can live a good life crowing to his heart's content,

 

[K. Kolberg]

Even though I have never used or seen a crow collar, anything that restricts an animal from doing what it naturally does, such as a rooster crowing, or a cat meowing, seems cruel to me. I would re-home him so he can live a good life crowing to his heart's content,

Yes, I see your point, but when it comes to having pets, their are limits, and sometimes we have to cut off some of their freedoms that they would have had in the wild. Anyways, I am still deciding, and I still want to at least try the no crow collar but if I see that it is strangling it, I will give it to a new home or something. thank you!

P.S. It's not like we keep our cat from meowing, we just keep a collar on him because we don't want people to think him a stray.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We had the "permission" of all of our neighbors when we first got a roo, although, our city considered him an exotic animal. Everyone agreed, if his crowing became a problem they would let me know so I could re home him. He was friendly, took good care of his hens, let babies pet him from a stroller and young children hand feed him. Our local policeman loved to stop by when he was in the front yard with his hens and just watch him. We had him for 4 years and came home from Mass on Good Friday to find a note from the city that we were in violation and would be fined if we did not re home him. We never found out who reported us. We know it wasn't the policeman. And he did end up getting a great home. I still miss him and it's been over 2 years. I guess I am just letting all know that even though your neighbors say they don't have a problem, they may still go behind your back and report you anyway. So be careful and be ready to re home him. Good luck.

 

[K. Kolberg]

We had the "permission" of all of our neighbors when we first got a roo, although, our city considered him an exotic animal. Everyone agreed, if his crowing became a problem they would let me know so I could re home him. He was friendly, took good care of his hens, let babies pet him from a stroller and young children hand feed him. Our local policeman loved to stop by when he was in the front yard with his hens and just watch him. We had him for 4 years and came home from Mass on Good Friday to find a note from the city that we were in violation and would be fined if we did not re home him. We never found out who reported us. We know it wasn't the policeman. And he did end up getting a great home. I still miss him and it's been over 2 years. I guess I am just letting all know that even though your neighbors say they don't have a problem, they may still go behind your back and report you anyway. So be careful and be ready to re home him. Good luck.

Well I'm sorry you had to get rid of him, and that is exactly what I am trying to avoid. I do have some friends who live it the country where I could maybe give him to them, also, our chickens are in our way back yard so they never appear in the front yard.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I don't think it had anything to do with seeing them, They live in the backyard and I would occassionally let them out in front when I could monitor them. It wasn't like they roamed the neighborhood and tore up peoples gardens. I think it was someone new to our old neighborhood and wishes the neighborhood was something other than what it has always been for the last 50 something years. They just didn't want to hear him crow in the morning, although lots of neighbors said they enjoyed hearing him.

 

[K. Kolberg]

Just to let you guys know, I am not all that worried about taking away the roo's freedom to crow, because I know that it will get used to it, and it's not like this would be the first freedom I've taken away, I mean I have taken away their freedom to roam, and they seem perfectly happy, so really, what I want to know is, does it work, and what tips can you give me when putting the collar on to make sure it is safe. Thank you

P.S. It's not like I don't care whether it is happy or not I want them to be happy, and I know (like all animals) it won't like it at first but it should get used to it eventually.

 

[Abriana]

Yes, I see your point, but when it comes to having pets, their are limits, and sometimes we have to cut off some of their freedoms that they would have had in the wild. Anyways, I am still deciding, and I still want to at least try the no crow collar but if I see that it is strangling it, I will give it to a new home or something. thank you!

P.S. It's not like we keep our cat from meowing, we just keep a collar on him because we don't want people to think him a stray.

I didn't mean don't put a collar on cat. That was a bad example I guess.

 

[K. Kolberg]

Lol that was a bad example!!